


tech | no | logic

by jaeyongficfest, yokmang



Category: NCT (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe, M/M, dystopian universe, i'm a jaehyun dimples enthusiastic i don't know if you'll notice, jaeyong fic fest, kinda comic here and there, perfectionist taeyong, rebellious jaehyun, second characters are the best, starts angsty but gets better, taeyong plays hard to get, technology rules the world, the world is bad but they keep through, they are two fluff balls
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-11-30
Updated: 2019-11-30
Packaged: 2021-03-03 10:34:20
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 5,422
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21617560
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/jaeyongficfest/pseuds/jaeyongficfest, https://archiveofourown.org/users/yokmang/pseuds/yokmang
Summary: In a dystopian society ruled by an artificial intelligence, love seems to be the only way to escape from reality. But, unfortunately, is not that simple.
Relationships: Jung Yoonoh | Jaehyun/Lee Taeyong
Comments: 12
Kudos: 64





	1. Act I. -down-

**tech | no | logic**

**ACT I.**

**– dawn –**

  
  


He swipes his left hand to the right, then upwards, then spins his index and middle finger in an 180° turn. 

« _ Thank you for your service _ » the robotic voice of the virtual cashier responds.

The blue hologram disappears, and Jaehyun lifts his two bags full of groceries and exits the shop.

The streets greet him with their greyish tones. Grey are the sidewalks he steps on, grey is the sky upon his head. Grey are the clothes he has on, grey are the ones everybody around him wears.

And grey is his mood.

He still presses the green “excellent service” button while exiting the shop.

«Welcome back» Doyoung greets him from the kitchen, without even checking who’s actually at the doorstep «Hope you have the things I asked you to buy with you»

Jaehyun shows the bags, tilting them in front of Doyoung’s nose. The mentioned nose scrunches up «You’re gonna break my eggs like that» is the only comment he gives, turning his back to him and keeping cooking.

The (hologram) fires are set at medium power, some pots levitating over them, the (hologram) timer counting the cooking time for each dish. Doyoung takes his beloved eggs from the bag, throws them in the air, and a (hologram) hand breaks them inside the only empty pan on the oven.

Jaehyun heads over his room, on the echo of Doyoung’s «Dinner’s going to be ready in a few! You better not fall asleep»

Once he’s finally on his bed, face headed to the ceiling, he takes a deep breath. He mentally counts up to ten, then reaches with his right hand under the bed. He lifts up the mattress. Under it, an old pen and a small dismissed notebook. He covers them with his body, then starts writing.

_ “I really wonder if there is a stop to all of this. This whole life is fake. The things I do, the people I live with, the job I do. All manufactured. My emotions are also not mine, but the product of someone’s else decision. Not someone. Something. I wonder if I’m still myself. The System stole that from me too. Sometimes I really wish-” _

«Hyung?? Dinner’s ready!» an excited Donghyuck screams behind the door, after knocking on the wooden panel three times.

Jaehyun quickly hides the notebook where he took it from.

«Coming» he just yells back.

«The dinner is really nice!» Donghyuck chirps, happily biting a spoonful of rice.   
«Thanks chipmunk» Doyoung reaches out to his head, patting him and messing his hair a bit.

Jaehyun just keeps eating, mind full of thoughts. Donghyuck proceeds to talk about his day at school, talking about his new friend.

_ The new friend they assigned him _ Jaehyun thinks to himself.

Doyoung seems to catch up with his thoughts, without him having to vocalize them. The older quickly sends Donghyuck to bed, who just does as told without complaining. He doesn’t miss the chance to give Jaehyun a fast hug, just as he did with Doyoung, which makes Jaehyun stiffen a bit.

He tries to focus on the food in his plate, instead of the burning gaze of Doyoung.

«Jaehyun»

He lifts his head up, no excuses to not do so.

«You need to change your attitude» Doyoung says, and he’s not scolding him. He seems worried for him.

Jaehyun fidgets a bit, expecting the next words.

And Doyoung doesn’t let him down. 

«Do you want to be assigned to a new Family  _ again _ ?»

Jaehyun closes his fists, nails piercing his palms. His head drops down a bit, returning to the plate. The egg fried rice suddenly looks disgusting.

«No» he softly says.

«Then please do something about. I’m worried you’ll end up…» Doyoung doesn’t finish his sentence.

But there’s no need for it.

Jaehyun nods multiple times, also giving a fake smile to him. It’s still something, he thinks while pulling the corner of his mouth out, just as much so his dimples show. People like his dimples, so it’s just right to use them when needed.

«I’ll not let that happen»

«Good boy» Doyoung pats him on the head like he just did with Donghyuck.

Jaehyun stands up, putting his dish in the sink. The dish automatically cleans itself up, and then a mechanical hand goes right in the cupboard. He can’t stop himself from turning his nose. Doyoung doesn’t notice, or just decides to leave him be.

«Are you already going to your room?» he asks instead.

Jaehyun moves his shoulders up «I guess so»

Doyoung’s lips presses one onto another until become a single line.

«Do you still have that stuff?» he mouths out, no sound coming, eyebrows furrowed.

Jaehyun quickly gestures a no, then bolts out the room.

His parents were part of the Rebels.

Jaehyun lived with them at first. As every member of the Rebels, he lived in the Underground Slums, where the System couldn’t reach them. They weren’t microchipped as every other citizen, either because they were already born in the Slums or because they removed the chip by themselves.

Jaehyun doesn’t remember a lot about that period. He just knows one day, when he was about ten years old, he woke up in a bed, and outside was the Sun. Something he had never seen before.

And then, his life under the System rules began.

He didn’t remember exactly how his life was before, just sparks from it. But still, inside him, he felt he didn’t belong there. His new Family, the one the System assigned him, was caring and all, nothing to complain about. They had a pretty big house, lived in a nice neighborhood, were nice to him, had the best technologies (as every citizen). They gave him everything they had to offer. Love, money, affection, status. But it all felt empty and fake.

Then, at his first birthday after his whole life changed, he “received” a gift.

He woke up, and under his bed, he found a box. Inside of it, there were a notebook, a pen, and some old photos of things that existed in the previous society. Libraries, art pieces, book shops, everything that was abolished and replaced with hi-tech items by the System.

Suddenly, he remembered where he came from. He started giving problems to his families, being rebellious, changing them every two months or so.

He stopped after meeting Doyoung and Donghyuck. Even if under the control of the System, they were the first two people Jaehyun didn’t sense as totally fake, products of the System.

Still, he couldn’t live peacefully and under control as everyone else did. His nature, the thing he knew, didn’t allow him to do that.

Sometimes he wished to just forget everything, and be able to live “normally”

But most of the time, he wanted to fight. He wanted to fight for his freedom.

He dreamed of taking his own choices, of living wherever he wished to, with whoever he wanted. 

From the years he lived among Rebels, Jaehyun clearly remembers the  _ love _ . An emotion he never felt again. There people interacted freely, made friends as they wished and even  _ loved _ each other. 

But where he lived now, everything was controlled by the algorithms of a massive artificial intelligence.

He dreamt of using freely notebooks, books, photos, pens. 

To not be controlled by technology, to do things with his own hands.

Jaehyun saw the day he would finish his notebook as the end of his life.

He needed to do something, but he was alone.

_ “I need help” _

He wrote with unsteady writing on an empty page, then adding an address. He then proceeded to tear it from the notebook and put it in his pocket.


	2. ACT II. -forenoon-

tech | no | logic

ACT II.

– forenoon –

«What are you running for?»

Taeyong turned his head up, his hands still deep in his bag, searching for something.

«I received a call from work, I need to go!» he quickly said, after triumphally squeaking with excitement, a lip balm firmly held in his hand. 

«You’re too dedicated» Yuta joked, slowly putting his right shoe.

«I just do as told~» Taeyong applied the balm on his dry lips, putting a double layer on the bottom one.

Then he quickly ran out of the house.

He looked at the street, waving his hand up and down. After some seconds, a bus appeared fastly in front of him. He jumped on it, put his thumb on the fingerprint reader.

_ «Ticket convalidated»  _ the machine said.

Taeyong sat on the first empty seat. He rested his head on the bus window. Two gentle taps on hist temple, and music started playing. He blinked multiple times, changing song.

After finding the required song, he finally closed his lids, enjoying the short ride.

A beep sound inside his head announced him it was time to get off the bus.

He started walking quickly on the sidewalk. He couldn’t arrive late. He would receive a scolding, and he really didn’t like those. It wasn’t about the screaming or the punishment. He just was a perfectionist.

Still walking, eyes fixated on the ground, suddenly something, or better someone, entered his field of view. As attracted by a magnet, his eyes shifted to the figure. 

A tall guy was walking the opposite direction as him. His beauty almost went in the background because of his aura. His pace was definitely fast, but Taeyong’s was too. The thing that gave it off the most was his right hand, deeply drown into his pocket. Looking at the piece of clothing, it vibrated, as the hand inside of it was shaking like crazy. 

Taeyong felt a bit uneasy, so he quickened his own pace to just surpass the other. But then the people on the sidewalk became more and more, squeezing him until he reached the odd guy. Their shoulders hit, and Taeyong looked behind himself to see if the other was hurt. But the guy just kept walking like nothing happened. The only thing he left was a weird white thingy on the street.

Could it possibly be what he had in his pocket, that made him so nervous? 

Taeyong picked it up, thinking he should return it.

It felt strange on his hands. He never touched something like that.

He wanted to investigate more, or run after the other, but he noticed how late it got and just ran to his destination.

Taeyong loved his job. Moving his fingers quickly above the hologram keyboard of his computer gave him this weird satisfaction. It felt as he was doing some kind of art, drawing with the tip of his fingers on the air.

He finished his task, sending everything to the head of his department.

Then he decided to take his daily break. He walked to the break room, finding it empty. He decided to prepare a tea, quickly selecting the option from the electronic menu on the table.

He then remembered about the accident from the morning.

He took the weird object again. It was thin. Taeyong turned it over and over between his fingers. He then found the way to open it.

Written on it, with some weird characters that didn’t match the ones from the computer he was used to, a phrase.

_ “I need help” _

And an address.

Taeyong was a good boy. Everyone told him since the first day he can remember of his life. He quickly understood that if he did what was said to him, and did it well, he would receive praises and prizes. And he liked those.

So, without noticing, he became almost as efficient and servile as one of the robots that populated the world.

He was all “thank you” and “you’re welcome” and “I’ll help you”.

Which is not a bad thing on its own. The problem was the amount of it.

One time, he messed up.

It wasn’t something severe, but the lack of compliments, which were quickly substituted with insults, was enough to make him understand he had to always be perfect.

To follow all the rules.

So, when he found out after some researches the thing he had in his own hands was indeed a piece of paper, one of the most illegal things ever, he panicked  _ a lot _ .

He could’ve just thrown it away. But what if someone else found it? It could be dangerous. He could’ve tried to find the person who dropped it, but that would be almost impossible. Someone who held something so suspicious wasn’t surely someone easily traceable.

His head was almost exploding from all the thinking. It was the first time in years since he had a problem. And he didn’t like to have problems.

They broke his perfect life.

And he needed to be perfect.

«Oh my god» was all Yuta said, after looking at the piece of paper for several minutes «How the fuck did you got stuck with something like this??? Even bringing it to the house! You must have become crazy»

Taeyong scratched his nape. He wasn’t affected by Yuta’s epitomes anymore. He lived with the other since years, when the System said so, so he was used to the others way of talking. It was his way of showing affection.   
  
The problem was the little white rectangular.

«You know… we are really different. I’m not as dedicated to rules as you are. So if I were you, I would just go to the address mentioned» he finally proposed something.

Still, Taeyong looked at him like he turned into an alien.

«Or you could just answer this»

Taeyong was even more shocked.

«Are you saying for real?»

«Of course! Just give it a try»

Taeyong looked at the paper, then at Yuta, then the paper again.

«Ok but… how should I write on it?»

After some hours, thanks to a lot of patience and one of Yuta’s eyeliners, Taeyong finished writing a message on the paper.

_ “What kind of help?” _

It wasn’t a lot, but it was still something to start with.

For the first time in his life, Taeyong felt a multitude of new emotions.

Curiosity, for where that paper came from, why that guy had it, and who the guy was.

Excitement, for something new and unknown.

Fear, of doing the wrong thing.

What he was doing was illegal, right?

He was breaking the rules. For the first time in years.

Chills got down his spine. It felt  _ thrilling _ .

The address revealed itself to be just an abandoned place. It was in the very limits of the Capital, a place where Taeyong rarely went. It took eight minutes of bus to reach it, the longest ride Taeyong ever took, considering the hyper speed of transports.

Even if unused, the place seemed cured. As if someone went there once in a while to clean a bit.

Taeyong took a careful step on, thinking it was some sort of trap to get him arrested by the System or something like that.

It didn’t make sense, but it could still happen.

Being cautious is very important.

He walked until the door. Then stopped, looking at the surroundings. He noticed a rectangular hole in the door, covered by a thin layer of metal that moved if pressed. He thought that was the best place to leave his message, sliding it inside the house.

Then he bolted out.


	3. Act III. -afternoon-

**tech | no | logic**

**ACT III.**

– afternoon –

  
  


He was a nervous wreck. Doyoung surely notice, and even Donghyuck sensed something was off.

«What in the hell happened that you are so weird?» Doyoung suddenly snapped.

Jaehyun shook his head.

_ ‘Oh nothing much. I just went outside with a piece of super duper illegal paper in my pocket, and then I fucking lost it’ _

That wasn’t a reasonable answer. Doyoung would faint, then kill him, then scream. Not in this order in particular.

Doyoung rolled his eyes «Fine, don’t tell me, I don’t even want to know. Just go to bed»

Jaehyun gladly ran away from the living room.

His heart was beating fast in his chest.

He knew he could be in trouble for what he did.

But still, down, deep down. 

He hoped for someone finding his message.

For someone to read his words.

To answer his text.

It was silly, but Jaehyun still hoped. It was the last thing he could do.

The morning after, he almost didn’t eat breakfast, running outside.

He didn’t sleep, too anxious about checking if someone went to the address he left. He found that abandoned house in one of his numerous wanderings through the Capital, and immediately fell in love with it. It was the last house in all the state to still have a mailbox.

When he wrote the message, he thought about making it his own post office. To communicate with whoever decided to answer him, if there even was anyone.

He anxiously opened the door, to find his piece of paper on the ground.

He almost jumped in excitement.

He quickly checked it, finding something on the other side of it. The writing was really unsure, made with something that surely wasn’t a pen. But still, it was a lot.

_ “What kind of help?” _ it read.

Jaehyun genuinely smiled.

_ “Do you ever think the way we live is wrong? Do you ever feel lonely? Wouldn’t you like to make your own choices? I do. I want to choose by myself. _ _   
_ _   
_ _ You can be the first thing I choose, and I can be yours. Think about it. _

  * _J”_

Jaehyun proof-read his message loads of time. He was afraid of scaring the person on the other side, making them disappear. And he couldn’t let that happen.

It was too exciting to stop.

He rolled in his bed. He felt the first spark of happiness.

Jaehyun looked at the message for the nth time.

_ “I never asked myself these things. I’m fine with the System rules. _

  * _T”_

He was astonished. Those words felt so weird to him, that viewed everything the opposite way. Even if “T” was ok with the System, being controlled and everything, he seemed genuine about it.

Jaehyun took it as a mission. Make “T” understand how wrong everything was. If he could turn something so deep rooted inside the System on his side, he could change everyone’s perspective.

  
_ “You may say so, but you’re answering me. That’s really against rules. _

  * _J”_

_ “I’m investigating on you. How you have paper. Who you are. So I can report you to the System _

  * _T”_

Jaehyun laughed. The other seemed so weirdly  _ cute _ . Jaehyun never taught that about anything. Maybe baby animals. But another person? Not at all. It felt interesting and refreshing.

He wanted to keep talking.

  
  


_ “If you really are investigating, you shouldn’t reveal your plans. Have you ever watched an action movie? Every time the villain reveals his plan, he loses. _

  * _J”_

_ “Maybe I want you to underestimate me. Also, I’m not a villain. _

  * _T”_

_ “Yeah, true, you’re not. I’m not one too. _

  * _J”_

_ “Nice to know. _

  * _T”_

_ “Are you a guy or a girl T? What age? _

  * _J”_

Maybe he ran a bit too much, because his interlocutor didn’t respond. Jaehyun got used to this weird type of communication. He had just one sentence each day. It was like building a puzzle, piece by piece.

And he wanted to see the end of it.

He just had to wait. He knew T would write again soon or later.

And just as he thought, T wrote again, almost one week later. Jaehyun was almost loosing his hopes, when he just found a piece of paper in their “post office”. It felt like T knew he was almost giving up and said “Hey! What are you doing! Snap out of it!”

_ “I’m a guy. I’m 24. _

_ Don’t even know why I’m telling you. _

  * _T”_

Jaehyun chuckled. He couldn’t stop thinking ‘ _ cute cute cute cute’ _ over and over again. He almost felt like the other was lying. There was no way he was older than him.

_ “I’m a guy too. I’m 22 tho. _

_ I think it would be nice to get to know each other. I’ll start. _

_ I have dimples, I like to cook without the help of technology, I write every night on my notebook, I was part of the Rebels, writing to you is the best part of my day, I really like kimchi soup. _

  * _J”_

_ “You were a Rebel? _

  * _T”_

_   
_ _ “Hey! Where is your description! _

_ And I also said I like kimchi soup! _

  * _J”_

_ “. _

  * _T”_

_ “Did you waste a day to write a dot??? _

  * _J”_

_ “Maybe I did :P _

  * _T”_

_ “That’s a little face. _

  * _J”_

_ “Nooo way. How could you understand it? _

  * _T”_

_ “I thought you hated me because I was a Rebel. _

  * _J”_

_ “Are you still one? _

  * _T”_

_ “Not technically. By heart? Yeah. _

  * _J”_

_ “That doesn’t make sense. _

  * _T”_

_ “Still waiting for the description. _

  * _J”_

_ “I’m just an ordinary guy. I work in an office, I help people out, I do as requested, I try to always be perfect. I like samgyeopsal I guess, if that’s what matters to you. _

  * _T”_

_ “Great! I’ll cook it for you when we’ll meet. _

  * _J”_

And again, T disappeared for quite some time. Jaehyun quickly caught that probably the mention of meeting in person was the reason why. But this time, he decided he wouldn’t just wait the other.

The day after, he went to the abandoned house and left one of his old photos. It showed a library. Some people were studying, curved on their books. It was one of Jaehyun’s favorites.

_ “That’s just one of the things we are reclused to do. _

  * _J”_

Almost a month passed. Jaehyun didn’t stop going to the abandoned house. Eventually, he even slept there somewhere in between the second and third week, hoping to catch T while he was putting his message inside.

But that didn’t happen.

Saying that Jaehyun was disappointed would be an underestimation.

Doyoung even stopped asking incessantly him about his moods and manners, perceiving something was just off.

Donghyuck started sleeping with him without saying anything. And Jaehyun didn’t oppose to it. It was nice having someone close, even if silent. It was comforting.

The only thing he knew, it’s that T did take the photo. Jaehyun didn’t know what he did with it though.

T could have burned it. Or teared it. Or even worse, took it to the System police. But since no one showed to his doorstep yet, Jaehyun excluded the latter.

Still, he felt uneasy.

He really hoped T would be different. He said he followed blindly the rules, but still was chatting with him. Jaehyun would’ve almost called him a friend.

A true friend.

He decided that would be the last day he went to the abandoned house. It was the 36 th day until the last answer from T.

And finally, on that day, he found something.

_ “Tell me more. _

  * _Taeyong” _


	4. ACT IV. -dusk-

**tech | no | logic**

**ACT IV.**

**– dusk –**

  
  


Taeyong felt like he was going completely crazy. Until that day, the day he found that damned piece of paper, he was living a pretty nice life. He was the perfect citizen. And then, everything changed.  _ He  _ appeared. Like a lightning in a quiet sunny day. It was scary and exciting at the same time.

He even went all his way out, also revealing his name. Jaehyun – that was the dimpled Rebel name – reassured him a lot, and eventually they started writing more and more. The idea his life could be totally different, not devoted to the impossible idea of perfection, tingled under his skin, inside his mind, wrapping him and making him numb.

His marks at work inevitably started to slowly drop, his mind was always somewhere else. At home, Yuta started giving him the “weird look”, as he himself baptized it, which was something he reserved only for times where Taeyong was really acting unusually. That was one of those times.

Another big  _ big  _ problem was Jaehyun. Jaehyun that treated him so kindly, not as someone to use for his own benefits, who made him laugh, who made him nervous about waiting the next message, who was just so  _ Jaehyun _ it hurt.

Taeyong felt this weird sensation at his chest. This warm feeling expanding from his heart to the tip of his toes. And then another in his stomach, that seemed to take all his organs and strangles them, knotting them one to another.

He never felt like that.

He started to think Jaehyun made him physically sick. Like he was allergic to nice dimpled Rebel guys.

Which could be totally plausible.

He desperately wanted to confess everything to Yuta, just to let it out with someone. But the fear to be reported to the System, even by his closest friend, his Family, was too strong.

So he kept his secret.

_ “Hey how are you doing today? I’m so stressed. Doyoung is giving me the interrogatory talk every here and there. Donghyuck is still an angel. It seems like his friend Mark is actually nice, even if it’s assigned by the System. Maybe that old computer gets it sometimes, right? _

_ I really want to see you… _

  * _Jaehyun”_

Taeyong read it again, putting his face inside his pillow. He was such… such…

«What the hell are you doing?» Yuta yelled at him.

Taeyong jumped, hiding the letter quickly under the sheets.

«Did the System give you a lover or something? Lately you’ve been acting like you have the biggest crush» and with that, he closes the door.

Taeyong stares into the void for several seconds.

A crush?

Could that be it?

His stomach clenches.

Oh God…

He was screwed.

  
  


_ “Yoooong. Stop ignoring my questions T^T I really do want to see you. Are you not curious about how do I look like? It’s not like I  _ _ need _ _ to see your face. I just love to talk to you because you are you. It’s not about looks. _ _   
_ _ But stiiiill T^T T^T T^T _

_ I just know you look like a whole cutie, so why hide?? _

  * _Jaehyun”_

Taeyong giggled while blushing like a whole tomato. Jaehyun always ranted about how Taeyong acted younger, when in reality he was a whole baby. 

Taeyong found him extremely adorable. To the point he would just stop worrying and go there to pinch those squishy cheeks of his.

He got embarrassed again at his own thoughts, drowning his face inside his palms.

«Ok, I’m tired of it» Yuta declared from the other side of the sofa «I want to know what’s up»

Taeyong turned to face Yuta, while putting the letter inside his pocket.

Yuta gave him another of his (in)famous looks. This one was called “you know I’ll end up knowing everything one way or another”.

Taeyong quickly gave up. He wasn’t good at keeping things secret, and he really needed to rant about this particular one.

«It’s… a guy» he tasted the waters.

Yuta screamed, as expected «Oh my God! Oh! My! God! So I was right! The System assigned you someone!»

Taeyong turned his face to his shoulder, hiding the redness.

«The problem is» he coughed «That the System didn’t»

«Oh»

Yeah, oh.

«That’s a first!» he exclaimed after not so long «You always are so rigid about laws and rules, but look at yourself! Crumbling down because of love~ as expected by our Yongie» he started pinching his cheeks, making him laugh.

«Yeah but the System doesn’t allow it…» Taeyong remarked, maybe a bit too sadly.

«Who cares? It’s not like they can come and split you up! It’s a computer, it doesn’t have legs you know?» Yuta joked around.

Taeyong softly giggled, worry still pretty present.

«He wants to meet me» he added in a whisper.

Yuta almost jumped out the sofa.

«You never met him???? Are you crazy or something?? Did you met him through one of those weird forums?»

«Err, it’s kinda complicated» Taeyong scoffed.

«They grow up so fast!» Yuta wheeped «So what are you waiting for? Go meet your lover boy!»

«I’ll never tell you anything again» he rolled his eyes.

Yuta laughed.

«You can’t even keep a grain of salt in that big mouth of yours!»

Taeyong threw him a pillow in the face.

_ “Ok. Let’s meet up _

  * _Taeyong”_


	5. ACT V. -nightfall-

**tech | no | logic**

**ACT V.**

**– nightfall –**

  
  
  


It feels unreal. 

Jaehyun is freezing his ass off in a cold evening of December, but still a stupid smile cracks his face up. Snow could pile up his dimples and he still would smile.

Because tonight, he’s meeting Taeyong.

  
The only thought makes his smile even bigger, if possible.   
  


Doyoung kept complaining all the time right before he went out. “Where are you going” and “Why do you keep troubling me” and “At least wear a scarf” and “Don’t be too late”.

Jaehyun didn’t say anything, because he kind of likes it.

(If Doyoung found out, it would be the end of him)

They talked for a few months only, exchanging letters and letters, but Jaehyun felt like he knew everything about Taeyong and viceversa. 

It wasn’t a problem for Jaehyun their type of communication. 

That was like that until Jaehyun eventually started finishing the pages of his notebook. 

So he started pressuring Taeyong to meet up, or it would really be the end of their relationship.

To think about how fast something can change its meaning…

If running out of pages on the notebook determined a horrific end, after getting to know Taeyong it meant a new, exciting beginning.

He stared at the sky, a few stars shining into the darkness, as they were positioned there to guide Taeyong to Jaehyun.   
  


And then, when he dropped his gaze down, he saw him.

He was small, all wrapped in a big coat, walking like a cute baby penguin. 

Just as he imagined him to be.

Jaehyun wanted to run to him, embrace him and lift him from the ground.

«Hi» Taeyong said shyly, hiding half of his face in his big scarf.

«Hi» Jaehyun responded, warmer, reassuring dimples on «Do you want to come in?» Jaehyun gestured the abandoned house.

Taeyong gave a quick nod.

Once inside the building, Taeyong threw himself at Jaehyun, who shockingly wrapped his arms around the other.

«I feel so weird» Taeyong said, his voice muffled by Jaehyun clothes, which he was speaking directly to.

Jaehyun giggled «How so?»

«You make me feel weird. I want to do stuff I’ve never done before. And it’s your fault» Taeyong rants, now looking at him right in his eyes.

His gaze is piercing. Funny how such big doe eyes can be so powerful.

«My bad» Jaehyun answers with a smile.

«You need to take responsibility» Taeyong mutters.

And then, they kiss.

It wasn’t clear who initiated it. It’s like they found themselves in the middle. It wasn’t deep, it wasn’t sensual, just lips on lips. Like an “hello”. Just getting to know each other.

«Wow» they say together once they separate, then bursting into giggles.

  
«I really wish we could stay like this» Taeyong adds. His cheeks are fully red, but he just need to let it out. All those weird, new, strong emotions, messing with him. He just needs to vocalize them «Just in each other arms»

«We will» Jaehyun firmly says «This is what I was talking about when we first started to write to each other. We deserve to be free. We deserve to love each other»

Taeyong becomes even redder, if possible.

«But how?» he whispers, laying his head on Jaehyun’s shoulder.

«We’ll go away. We’ll go where no one tells us what we have to do»

«Where?»

«The Underground Slums. It’s… it’s where I come from. We can start there, and then decide what to do. Where to go. But there, there we’ll be safe»

Taeyong looked at him with sparkling eyes, then started laughing.

«What’s so funny?» Jaehyun questioned.

«Nothing. I’m just  _ happy _ . I never felt like this. Thank you. For choosing me»

«But I didn’t choose you»

«But you’re doing now. And you did when you trusted me. It’s not about giving me that piece of paper, but everything that happened after. Maybe it was fate, that we had to meet each other. Either way, I’m thankful. I’ll go even on cloud 9 with you»

Jaehyun smiles widely, then kisses him on the nose.

«Just one condition» Taeyong adds.

«What is it?»

«Never stop making me feel like this»

«How?»

_ «Free» _

  
  


**Author's Note:**

> Hello! I hope you liked this story!  
I would've liked to spend more time on it, but maybe is better as it is,. Thinking too much about it can ruin it ahahah.  
Also, I hope I answered the prompt correctly! I'm not quite sure if the prompter wanted a dystopian au, but it's the first thing that came to my mind when i saw the prompt so..  
Well!  
Thank you so so so much for spending your time reading this. I appreciate it a lot! And thanks to the team working on the fic fest! They are the best!  
Until the next time we see each other, bye~


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